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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

My first Post. I am just two weeks into Linux, have spent many hours every day on LQ resolving issues on my own, so many tks for all the help given in the threads. I have just a few problems left (and I promise I have checked everywhere before writing this..)

Summary question

I would like to understand how to put my RH Linux box (which acts as a server to my Windoze machines) into "standby" automatically and have it wake up very quickly when pinged from my other machines. I use "standby" in the Windoze sense of shut off the CPU, idle the disks AND the case fans and be ready to immediately 'wake up' (i.e. not need to reboot) when prompted by my Windoze machines. Problem is I cannot workout how to switch off the case fans in the Linux standby and suspend sense.

More background - my setup

I have various Windoze machines in the house running XP Prof and, until very recently, had my server running XP Prof in the spare room holding my audio and data files. Everything works reasonably OK using M$ - when none of the 'Users' need audio or data the server goes into standby, with CPU, disks AND fans shutting off. When I use the Windoze machines and prompt for audio or data files the WOL causes the server to wake up in about 20s. It goes back to standby after 20 mins if I stop using it. Of course, Windoze is forever going wrong so I have to keep rebooting the server for some problme or other. I now set up a dual boot machine with XP Prof / RH7.2 using samba and have mounted the windows files so that the Windoze machines can access the files on the server. After much blood, sweat (and tears) and reading LQ (of course) everthing works EXCEPT the standby.

What have I tried so far?

1) At the shell prompt I have experimented with shutdown and poweroff and various permutations discussed in the posts. I can get the machine to reduce power, stop the CPU and idle the HDDs but it leaves all the case fans and the HDDs fans running. The server is a huge box of disks with so many fans that I need to shut off the fans for most of the day (when I am not using the server). I can only get the fans to stop with poweroff but this is no good since it will then not WOL and then takes ages to reboot.
2) Using K I have gone Control Center > Power Control > Energy and ticked the standby, suspend and power off boxes - but it still leaves all the fans running....
3) I have tried disabling the APM and tried to rely on the BIOS APM alone, but still no success
-- I know that the hardware can do what I want it woks in Windoze ...

One final detailed question

If I can ever solve this problem, I have a more detailed question about how to speed up the WOL, should I consider some form of hibernation - I saw one Post where someone was trying to work out how to emulate the laptop concept of hibernation.

the issue is not distribution specific. ALL distro's are built around the Linux kernel, and it is that that deals with issues such as this. I *think* that the 2.6 kernel branch will finally include acpi compatability, and when it does, all distros next releases will include it too...

As for your request for a suggestion box, well it is a well known short fall, and the kernel developers are certainly aware about it!

Hi NRTJ
Have seen your post, I am interesting to how to reduce power, stop CPU and idle HDDs. Since you doesn't allow to send email through LQ, I reply this post and hope that you will see it. Would
you mind to tell me what should I do to achieve the status metioned above?
Thanks.

Thanks to acid_kewpie for quickly answering.
And I have another question, hope you could teach me.
Does RedHat have any API or Lib for user's program calling to setup BIOS before SHUTDOWN, just like windoze, to achieve auto power on?